Author: Claire Doherty

4 awards are available to support the transition from discovery research to translational development projects or feasibility studies in IB. See www.ibcarb.com/funding for further guidance and application forms.

The Bioscience Skills and Careers Strategy Advisory Panel (BSC) has received input from a Bioscience Skills and Careers Postdoctoral Researcher Subgroup since March 2013. Membership of the subgroup is currently being refreshed to ensure it continues to have the necessary skills and expertise to provide input into topics highlighted by the subgroup’s recently updated terms of reference.

BBSRC is looking to appoint eight postdocs to the subgroup. Applications are sought from postdocs working in academia, including those based in research institutions, as well as those in government laboratories or industry (Postdoc in the industrial context meaning someone with a PhD carrying out a research role, but who is not directing a research programme / who does not have significant management responsibilities)

Research Councils UK invites proposals from eligible UK research organisations to establish and lead a number of challenge-led and impact-focused GCRF Interdisciplinary Research Hubs which meet the aims of Official Development Assistance.

The Intention to Submit survey must be completed by 29th September 2017. Outline proposals must be submitted via Je-S by 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) on 9th November 2017

The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is running a series of international Global Engagement Meetings. The application form to attend the Meetings is now open and can be found at the link below. Applications are open to UK and non-UK academics and non-academics who have an interest in international development research.

The aim of these large scale events is to showcase the opportunities available through the GCRF; to bring together developing country and UK researchers and representatives from other organisations to forge networks; and to discuss opportunities for maximising the contribution of GCRF research into policy and practice.

The Meetings will be held on the following dates and locations:

Colombia (Bogota) Wednesday 4th-Friday 6th October 2017

India (Delhi) Tuesday 7th-Thursday 9th November 2017

South Africa (Pretoria) Tuesday 5th-Wednesday 6th December 2017

Applications are open until Thursday 27th July, and successful applicants will hear in early August. Please circulate this to your contacts.

Suprex Ltd (www.suprex.uk) who specialise in the development of processes using supercritical carbon dioxide are seeking a Business Development Manager to build new relationships primarily in the natural products sector and to manage the Company’s grant applications. For further details contact Andy Beggin andy@suprex.uk.

BBSRC is seeking to renew the funding of Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (NIBB). It is expected that a smaller number of networks, potentially with a wider remit and community, may be sought to minimise overlap and the numbers of events that run. This renewal process provides an opportunity to rethink the remit of the NIBB and help ensure that they serve the research and industry communities appropriately going forward.

To help inform this process, you can complete a short questionnaire which can be accessed following this link here

The survey is hosted by QDP Services Ltd, who will analyse the data and share it with the NIBB.

Innovate UK and Research Councils, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), are investing up to £8 million in projects that use cutting-edge solutions to reduce industrial waste in India.

Projects should address reducing industrial waste and pollution, and improve value recovery from waste using biotechnology in one or more of these 5 sectors:

leather/tanning/textiles

municipal solid waste

paper and pulp

sewage

sugar cane

The total project grant will not exceed £2 million per project for UK partners. Match funding will be made available for Indian project partners by the Government of India. Projects should last between 30 months and 3 years.

Congratulations to Dr Carmen Galan who has been awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Dextra Carbohydrate Chemistry Award for 2017

The award is given to Dr Galan in recognition of her research into new synthetic methodologies for oligosaccharide synthesis and the development of novel glycoconjugate probes to study cellular processes. She will present her award lecture at the RSC Carbohydrate Group Autumn meeting in Dublin in September, where she will be presented with a silver medal.

Due to advances in the tools available to study carbohydrates, polysaccharides have been found to participate in many biological processes which has led to a growing area of research in the use of these bioactive polysaccharides. In addition, there is growing interest in the use of carbohydrates, as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, and their sustainable advanced manufacture via biotechnology and synthetic biology approaches.

In this workshop the following will be explored:

Isolation of polysaccharides from complex mixtures e.g. from cellular secretory processes for the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) & refining of native biomass for sustainable high value manufacturing;

Recent advances in analytical tools, which are furthering understanding of carbohydrates and their roles in biological processes and the structural properties required for bioactivity;

How polysaccharides can be functionalised to either optimise or introduce bioactive properties using chemo-enzymatic techniques;

This will be an exciting two-day event and will include key note talks, flash presentations, as well as group discussions to identify strategic areas of research and to start building links between participating researchers and establish consortia.

This is in anticipation of future funding calls from national funding bodies e.g. the Global Challenges Research Fund, UK, a Â£1.5bn fund to support cutting edge research that addresses challenges faced by developing countries in various areas.

Innovate UK, BBSRC, EPSRC and India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) are planning a UK-India Newton-Bhabha Fund joint call for innovative biological solutions in the area of industrial waste, expected to be launched in May 2017.

Confirmed speakers:

Paul Dupree, University of Cambridge

Katja Johansen, Novozymes

Christophe Courtin, KU Leuven

William Willats, University of Newcastle

Andy Laws, University of Huddersfield

Tom Simmons, University of Cambridge

Lis Lowe, University of Newcastle

Fred Warren, Institute of Food Research

Amalesh Samanta, Jadavpur University, India

All delegates are invited to give flash presentations to ensure effective networking and knowledge sharing between all meeting delegates. Please indicate when prompted during the registration process your willingness to present.

Accommodation – will be provided for all network members, please select during registration.

IBCarb Travel bursaries – are available to all early career researchers attending this event.

For all queries about this event please contact the IBCarb Network Manager claire.doherty@manchester.ac.uk